Holding the bow
Position of the left hand and the left arm
The violin is held with the left hand and rests on the left collar bone. The instrument must be horizontal. To give a firm grip, a small pad is often placed between the violin and the left shoulder. A chin-rest screwed to the ribs, and covering a part of the upper table, is also to be recommended. The chin-rest serves also to protect the varnish. To prove that the violin is held securely and well, the left hand may be removed.
Bowing
- Bowing
Constituent parts of the violin - Exterior
The most important part is the upper table or belly (a). The other parts are the ribs or sides (b), the back (c), the neck (d), the head comprising the scroll and peg box (e), the pegs (f), the finger board (g), the bridge (h), the tailpiece (i), the button[3] (k), the nut (l), and the f or sound-holes (m). The interior of the violin contains the soundpost and the bass bar.
Rabab
. Rabab—Arabian bowed instrument (of Persian origin). Pictures of Indian and Persian bowed instruments exist, but the period when they were employed is not exactly known.
Raba—Indian violin
Pictures of Indian and Persian bowed instruments exist, but the period when they were employed is not exactly known.
Constituent parts of the bow
Constituent parts of the violin - Interior
The bow
This received its name from its ancient form, which has undergone many alterations before the present form was arrived at
Two angels
Horn, or Olifant, Fourteenth Century
Mr Stern at the Spinet
The Musician
Bagpiper
Bagpiper
Girl playing a flutelike instrument while running through some leaves
Girl arranging pussy willows
Frank Johnson, Leader of the band
A Muse playing the Diaulos
The single flute was called monaulos, and the double one diaulos. A diaulos, which was found in a tomb at Athens, is in the British Museum. The wood of which it is made seems to be cedar, and the tubes are fifteen inches in length. Each tube has a separate mouth-piece and six finger-holes, five of which are at the upper side and one is underneath.
Huayra-puhura,
The Peruvians had the syrinx, which they called huayra-puhura. Some clue to the proper meaning of this name may perhaps be gathered from the word huayra, which signifies “air.” The huayra-puhura was made of cane, and also of stone. Sometimes an embroidery of needlework was attached to it as an ornament. One specimen which has been disinterred is adorned with twelve figures precisely resembling Maltese crosses. The cross is a figure which may readily be supposed to suggest itself very naturally; and it is therefore not so surprising, as it may appear at a first glance, that the American Indians used it not unfrequently in designs and sculptures before they came in contact with Christians.
A Muse with a Harp, and two others with Lyres
A Muse with a Harp, and two others with Lyres. From a Greek vase in the Munich Museum The design on the Greek vase at Munich represents the nine Muses, of whom three are given in the engraving, viz., one with the harp, and two others with lyres. Some of the lyres were provided with a bridge, while others were without it. The largest was held probably on or between the knees, or were attached to the left arm by means of a band, to enable the performer to use his hands 30without impediment. The strings, made of catgut or sinew, were more usually twanged with a plektron than merely with the fingers. The plektron was a short stem of ivory or metal pointed at both ends.
1800 2
Drums on a summer's evening
Our camp on a summer’s evening was a cheerful scene. At this hour, fires burned before most of the tepees; and, as the women had ended their day’s labors, there was much visiting from tent to tent. Here a family sat eating their evening meal. Yonder, a circle of old men, cross-legged or squat-on-heels in the firelight, joked and told stories. From a big tent on one side of the camp came the tum-tum tum-tum of a drum. We had dancing almost every evening in those good days.
Harp
Action of the Square Piano
A. Action Frame. B's Indicate the Cushions, or Bushing, of felt, cloth or leather. C. Balance Rail. D. Balance Pin. Round. E. Mortised Cap for Balance Pin. Bushed. F. Key. G. Lead. H. Back Check. I. Bottom or Key Rocker. J. Bottom Screws; used to regulate height of Jack. K. Jack. L. Jack Spring; concealed under Bottom. M. Center Pin to Jack. N. Hammer Rail. O. Regulating Screw. P. Regulating Button. Q. Flange Rail. R. Flange. Split. S. Flange Rail Screw. T. Flange Screw, to regulate jaws of flange. U. Hammer Butt. V. Center Pin. W. Hammer Stem or Shank. X. Hammer Head. Y. Hammer Felt. Treble hammers sometimes capped with buckskin in old instruments.
Action of the Grand Piano
1. Indicates the felt, cloth or leather, upon which the various parts of the action rest, or fall noiselessly. 2. Key. 3. Bottom; sometimes called Key Rocker. 4. Extension; split at lower end to receive center pin in Bottom. 5. Wippen Support. 6. Jack. 7. Jack Spring. 8. Flange and Regulating Rail. 9. Regulating Screw, Button and Cushion. 10. Escapement Lever. 11. Regulating Screw in Hammer Flange, for Escapement Lever. 12. Check Wire, for Escapement Lever. 13. Screw to regulate fall of Escapement Lever. 14. Lever Flange, screwed to Flange Rail. 15. Hammer Shank. 16. Hammer. 17. Back Check. 18. Damper Lever, leaded. 19. Damper Wire, screwed into upright. 20. Damper Wire Guide, fastened to Sound-Board. 21. Damper Head and Felt. 0. Center Pins. Holes lined with Bushing Cloth.
Upright Piano Action
Ky, is the Key in its resting position. c, wherever found, represents a cushion of felt or soft leather upon which the different parts of the action rest or come in contact with each other. Their purpose, as is readily seen, is that of rendering the action noiseless and easy of operation. Bnc R, shows the end of the balance rail, extending the entire length of the keyboard. B P, is the balance pin. This is a perfectly round pin driven firmly in the balance rail. The bottom of the hole in the key fits closely around the balance pin; at the top, it is the shape of a mortise, parallel with the key, which allows the key to move only in the direction intended. The mortise in the wooden cap on top of the key at this point is lined with bushing cloth which holds the key in position laterally, and prevents looseness and rattling, yet allows the key to move easily.
Sweet, piercing sweet was the music of Pan’s pipe
The great god Pan, protector of the shepherds and their flocks, was half man, half goat. Every one loved this strange god, who yet ofttimes startled mortals by his wild and wilful ways. When to-day a sudden, needless fear overtakes a crowd, and we say a panic has fallen upon it, we are using a word which we learned from the name of this old pagan god. Down by the streams the great god Pan was sometimes seen to wander— ‘What was he doing, the great god Pan, Down in the reeds by the river? Spreading ruin and scattering ban, Splashing and paddling with hoofs of a goat, And breaking the golden lilies afloat, With the dragon-fly on the river. ‘He tore out a reed, the great god Pan, From the deep cool bank of the river,’ and then sitting down he ‘hacked and hewed, as a great god can,’ at the slender reed. He made it hollow, and notched out holes, and lo! there was a flute ready for his use. Sweet, piercing sweet was the music of Pan’s pipe as the god placed his mouth upon the holes.
The samisen
The samisen is early taught. Girls of seven or thereabouts are made to learn it while their fingers are still very pliant. But the lessons are hard to learn as the tunes have to be committed to memory, for there are no scores to refer to. There is no popular method of notation; the marks which are sometimes to be seen in song-books are too few to be of use to any but skilled musicians. The lighter samisen does not require much exertion to play; women can thrum it for hours on end; and they make slight indentations on the nails of the middle and ring fingers of the left hand for catching the strings when those fingers are moved up and down the neck to stop them. But with the heavier kind the indentations are deeper, and the constant friction of the strings hardens the finger-tips and often breaks the nails, while still worse is the condition of the right hand which holds the plectrum. The plectrum, the striking end of which is flat as in the one for the slender-necked samisen, is heavily leaded and weighs from twelve ounces to a pound when used by professionals; and the handle, which is square, is held between the ring and little fingers for leverage and worked with the thumb and the forefinger.
The Koto
The only Japanese musical instrument taught in girls’ schools is the koto, a kind of zither. As the koto is the most adaptable of all Japanese instruments to western music, it is more readily learnt than others at schools where the piano and the violin are also taught. There are several kinds of koto, the number of strings on them ranging from one to twenty-five; but the one exclusively used at schools has thirteen strings It has a hollow convex body,six feet five inches long and ten inches wide at one end and half an inch narrower at the other, and stands on legs three and a half inches high. The strings are tied at equal distances at the head or broader end and gathered at the other; they are supported each by its own bridge, the position of which varies with the pitch required. Small ivory nails are put on the tips of the fingers for striking the strings.
Cornemuse, Calabrian Bagpipe, Musette
The Calabrian Bagpipe or Zampogna is a rudely carved instrument of the eighteenth century. It has four drones attached to one stock, hanging downwards from the end of the bag: two of them are furnished with finger-holes. The reeds are double like those of the oboe and bassoon. The bag is large; it is inflated by the mouth and pressed by the left arm against the chest of the performer. The Zampogna is chiefly used as an accompaniment to a small reed melody pipe called by the same name, and played by another performer. The quality of the tone produced is not unpleasing. It has five holes only, and consequently the seventh of the scale is absent, but this can be easily got by octaving the open note of the pipe and covering part of the lower opening of the chanter with the little finger. The Musette, Zampogna, and Cornemuse here shown are from specimens belonging to Messrs. J. & R. Glen, Edinburgh.
Queen Mary's Harp
This venerable instrument, the least impaired Gaelic Harp existing, is known as Queen Mary's Harp. It is small, being only 31 inches high and 18 inches from back to front. It was played resting upon the left knee and against the left shoulder of the performer, whose left hand touched the upper strings. The comb is from 2½ to 3¼ inches high. It is inserted obliquely in the sound chest, and projects about 14 inches.
Lamont Harp
The extreme length of the Lamont Harp is 38 inches, and the extreme width 18½ inches. The sound chest, as with other ancient harps, is hollowed out of one piece of wood, but the back has been in this instrument renewed, although probably a long time ago. The sound chest is 30 inches long, 4 inches in breadth at the top, and 17 at the bottom. The comb projects 15½ inches. The broken parts of the bow are held together by iron clamps.
Burgmote Horns
Beautiful horns of hammered and embossed bronze belonging to the Corporations of Canterbury and Dover. The right-hand one is from Dover, where it was formerly used for the calling together of the Corporation at the order of the mayor. The minutes of the town proceedings were constantly headed "At a common Horn blowing" (comyne Horne Blowying). This practice continued until the year 1670, and is not yet entirely done away with, as it is still blown on the occasion of certain Municipal ceremonies. The motto on this horn is:— JOHANNES DE · ALLEMAINE · ME · FECIT · preceded by the talismanic letters A·G·L·A, which stand for the Hebrew אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי and mean, "Thou art mighty for ever, O Lord!" The horn, which is 31¾ inches long, with a circumference at the larger end of 15½ inches, is of brass, and is deeply chased with a spiral scrollwork of foliage chiefly on a hatched ground. The inscription is on a band that starts four inches from the mouth and continues spirally. The maker's name is now nearly effaced, but the inscription shows that he was a German, and the date is assigned to the thirteenth century.
Modern method og grand pianoforte case construction
A. Continuous bent rim. B. Wooden struts. C. Iron shoe holding struts and connecting with iron plate. D. Main beam.
Back view of upright pianoforte
Back view of upright pianoforte, Knabe patents, showing ribbing of sound-board and construction of back framing.
Jonas Chickering’s full solid cast grand metal plate
Arrangement of iron plate, braces and scale of parlor size grand pianoforte
Iron plate for upright pianoforte fitted with Capo D’astro bar
Sketch of iron plate for concert grand
Sketch of iron plate for concert grand, showing general arrangement of braces, belly-bridges and system of bolts for fastening to case. A—B. Hammer line. 1. Body of plate. 2. Bass bridge. 3. Continuous treble bridge. 4. Agraffes. 5. Capo d’astro bar. Plate is cast in one piece and scale is overstrung.
Cristofori’s action in its final form
1. Key. 2. Jack. 3. Jack-operating spring. 4. Cushion limiting rebound of jack. 5. Under-hammer. 6. Hammer-butt. 7. Hinge of hammer-butt. 8. Hammer-shank. 9. Hammer head. 10. Check. 11. Damper-lifter. 12. Damper-head. 13. Action-beam. 14. Wrest-plank. 15. Tuning pins. 16. Bearing-bridge. 17. String.
Iron plate for upright pianoforte with Agraffes (Mehlin patents)
Action by Andreas and Nanette (Stein), Streicher Viennese escapement (1794)
1. Key. 2. Jack. 3. Jack-operating spring. 4. Cushion limiting rebound of jack. 5. Button and screw regulating escapement of hammer. 6. Hammer-butt and operating face. 7. Hammer-butt pivot. 8. Hammer-shank. 9. Hammer-head. 10. Check. 11. Damper-lifter. 12. Damper-head. 13. Action-rails.
English direct lever grand action, developed by Broadwood from Backers (1884)
1. Key. 2. Jack. 3. Jack operating spring. 4. Rail and cushion limiting travel of jack. 5. Button and screw regulating escapement of hammer. 6. Hammer-butt with operating notch. 7. Hammer-butt flange. 8. Hammer-shank. 9. Hammer-head. 10. Check. 13. Action-rails.
Double repetition action of Sebastian Erard as used by S. & P. Erard, Paris
1. Key. 2. Wippen. 3. Jack. 4. Escapement lever. 5. Hammer-shank. 6. Roller. 7. Hammer-head. 8. Jack regulating button. 9. Regulating button to limit rise of escapement lever. 10. Hammer-butt. 11. Check. 12. Felt cushion to engage with check. 13. Sticker connecting key and wippen. 14. Action-rails. 15. Damper-head. 16. Damper operating device. 17. Device to limit travel of jack. 18. String. 19. Spring (v-shaped) for escapement lever and jack.
The Erard grand action modified by Herz
1. Key. 2. Wippen. 3. Jack. 4. Escapement lever. 5. Hammer-shank. 6. Hammer-butt notch. 7. Hammer-head. 8. Jack regulating button. 9. Regulating button to limit rise of escapement lever. 10. Hammer-butt. 11. Check. 12. Molded tail of hammer-head to engage with check. 13. Capstan-screw connecting key and wippen. 14. Action-rails. 15. Damper-head. 16. Damper-operating device. 17. Device to limit travel of jack. 18. Regulating device for escapement lever. 19. Springs (2) for escapement lever and jack. 20. String. 21. Flange.
Grand pianoforte action with metallic action and damper frames
Grand pianoforte action with metallic action and damper frames, sostenuto pedal device and hammer swinging soft pedal attachment. 22. Sostenuto pedal-rod. 23. Attachment to damper-lever engaging with sostenuto pedal-rod. 24. Metallic action and damper-brackets. 25. Hammer swing-rail and cushion. 26. Hammer swing-rail rod. 27. Hammer swing-rail lifter. 28. Lifter-rod. 29. Lost motion compensating levers. 30. Lost motion compensating levers.
Standard modern American grand action
1. Key. 2. Wippen. 3. Jack. 4. Escapement lever. 5. Hammer-shank. 6. Roller. 7. Hammer-head. 8. Jack-regulating button. 9. Regulating button to limit rise of escapement lever. 10. Hammer-butt. 11. Check. 12. Molded tail of hammer-head to engage with check. 13. Key-rocker and sticker connecting wippen and key. 14. Action-rails. 15. Damper-head. 16. Damper operating device. 17. Device to limit travel of jack. 18. Regulating device for escapement lever. 19. Separate springs for jack and escapement lever. 20. String. 21. Flanges.
Standard American upright action
1. Key-rocker. 2. Abstract. 3. Abstract-lever. 4. Flange. 5. Action-rail. 6. Wippen. 7. Jack. 8. Jack-spring. 9. Check. 10. Check-wire. 11. Bridle-wire. 12. Tip of bridle-tape. 13. Bridle-tape. 14. Back-stop. 15. Regulating rail. 16. Regulating button. 17. Regulating screw. 18. Hammer-butt. 19. Hammer-shank. 20. Hammer-molding. 21. Hammer-head. 22. Hammer-rail. 23. Hammer-butt spring. 24. Hammer-spring rail. 25. Damper-spoon. 26. Damper-lifting rod. 27. Damper-lever. 28. Damper-lever spring. 29. Damper-wire. 30. Damper-block. 31. Damper-head. 32. String. 33. Continuous brass hammer-butt flange.
Upright action showing lost-motion device
Upright action showing lost-motion device, metallic regulating rail support, capstan screw, jack regulating rail and metallic action brackets. 34. Hammer-rail lifter-wire. 35. Hammer-rail swing-lever. 36. Hammer-rail lifter rod. 37. Lifter-rod lever. 38. Compensation-lever. 39. Capstan-screw. 40. Rail for limiting return movement of jack. 41. Metallic regulating rail support.
A juggler, after a miniature
Atys - the Phrygian shepherd
Saw Ou
The Saw Ou, or Chinese fiddle, used in Siam, is suggestive of a modern croquet mallet, with pegs stuck in the handle, and has only two strings, fastened from the pegs to the head. It is played with a bow which the performer cleverly inserts between the strings.
Ta'khay, or Alligator
A very curious instrument is known as the Ta'khay, or Alligator: a glance at its form will readily account for its name. There seems a sort of satire in making one of the most silent of savage monsters a medium for the conveyance of sweet sounds. The Ta'khay is a stringed instrument of considerable power, and in tone is not unlike a violoncello. The three strings pass over eleven frets or wide movable bridges, and the shape of the body is rather like that of a guitar. It is placed on the ground, raised on low feet, and the player squats beside it. The strings are sounded by a plectrum, or plucker, shaped like an ivory tooth, fastened to the fingers, and drawn backwards and forwards so rapidly that it produces an almost continuous sweet dreamy sound.
Saw Tai
The Saw Tai is the real Siamese violin, and is frequently of most elaborate construction. The upper neck of the one shown in the illustration is of gold, beautifully enamelled, while the lower neck is of ivory, richly carved. The back of the instrument is made of cocoa-nut shell, ornamented with jewels. The membrane stretched on the sounding-board, which gives the effect of a pair of bellows, is made of parchment, and has often, as in this special instrument, a jewelled ornament inserted in one corner. The Saw Tai has three strings of silk cord, which, passing over a bridge on the sounding-board, run up to the neck, being bound tightly to it below the pegs. The player sitting cross-legged on the ground holds the fiddle in a sloping posture, and touches the strings with a curiously curved bow.
Guatemalan Marimba
Another form of Marimba is popular amongst the natives of Guatemala, in Central America. Its construction is much that of a rough table, the top being formed of twenty-eight wooden bars or keys, from each of which hangs a hollow piece of wood, varying in size; these take the place of the resonating shells of the Zulu Marimba. The instrument is usually about six and a half feet long, by two and a half wide, and the keys are struck by hammers topped with rubber. Three performers often play together with great skill. This form of Marimba is also met with amongst the natives of Costa Rica.
Zulu Marimba
The Zulus, or more correctly the Amazulus, take the front `rank` amongst the native tribes of the African continent. Their code of laws, military arrangements, and orderly settlements resemble those of civilised nations at many points. Their dances are a national feature, and a great company of young warriors performing a solemn war dance is a most impressive sight. One of their chief instruments is the 'Marimba' or 'Tyanbilo,' a form of harmonium. The keys are bars of wood called Intyari, of graduated size. These are suspended by strings from a light wooden frame, either resting on the ground, or hung round the neck of the player. Between every two keys is a wooden bar crossing the centre bar to which the keys are attached. On each key two shells of the fruit known as the Strychnos McKenzie, or Kaffir Orange, are placed as resonators, one large and one small. The use of resonators is to increase and deepen the sound. The Marimba is played with drum-sticks of rubber, and the tone is good and powerful.
The Arpa
The Arpa or drum of Oceana is made of wood, and imitates the head and jaws of a crocodile, with a handle for carrying purposes. The head is covered with snake-skin, which sometimes gives it an unpleasantly real appearance. It is used by the natives of New Guinea, especially by those dwelling around the Gulf of Papua.
The Burmese Soung
The harp (the Soung) shown in the illustration is a favourite Burmese instrument, and is chiefly used to accompany the voice: it is always played by young men. It also has thirteen strings, made of silk, and is tuned by the strings being pushed up or down on the handle. It would sound strange to our ears, as the Burmese scale is differently constructed from ours. Every learner of music knows, or ought to know, that our scale has the semi-tones between the third and fourth, and the seventh and eighth notes, which gives a smooth progression satisfactory to our ears; but the Burmese scale places the semi-tones between the second and third and the fifth and sixth, which is quite different and to us has not nearly such a pleasant effect. The Soung is held with the handle resting on the left arm of the performer, who touches the strings with his right hand.
The Sho
The instrument called Sho is blown with the mouth, and corresponds to the Chinese Cheng or Mouth Organ. The pipes are made of wood, with reed mouthpieces, and the notes are made by stopping the holes with the fingers. In some ways the construction is like that of a harmonium, but it is much more troublesome to play, and the performer, having to use his own breath to make the sounds, cannot sing at the same time. Unlike a harmonium also, it is difficult to keep in tune, and Miss Bird, a well-known traveller, tells of a concert at which the performer was obliged to be continually warming his instrument at a brazier of coals placed near. Some years ago a Japanese Commission was appointed to consider which of the national instruments were most suitable for use in schools; it rejected the Sho because its manufacture was troublesome and its tuning even worse.